Show of power

Published: Friday, May 24, 2013 5:30 a.m. CDT

To the Editor:

I preface this letter by stating it’s about Illinois politics.

Talk about a show of power. Speaker Madigan’s prediction on the fate of his pension reform bill is right up there with Babe Ruth’s called home run and Joe Namath’s guarantee of a Jets win in the Super Bowl.

Madigan didn’t just guarantee passage in the House, which would be expected. He guaranteed passage in the Senate, as well as withstanding a Supreme Court challenge. Is it any wonder Illinois is affectionately know as Madiganistan. It so closely resembles the power-based, so-called democracies of the Caucasus region.

The most curious, if not alarming, statement Madigan made was referring to the justices. He said his bill would hold up to a constitutional challenge. Wow, that’s pretty heady stuff. Is he saying he has four justices in his back pocket?

I have to assume he hasn’t had dialogue with the justices about an issue that very well could come before them.

It makes me wonder whether Madigan’s having an “Oz the Great and Powerful” moment.